Sunday, July 11, 2010
Still not a lick of sense.
Now we know why the 12 incompetent Russian spies were captured a few weeks ago; they were captured to serve as the 'currency' in a classic swap. Clearly the swap was pre-arranged. It's too fast and neat to be accidental.
If we were 'buying' some actual Americans who had been imprisoned in Russia, the swap would make sense. Or if we were buying and repossessing a Russian who was firmly on our side, trying to save him from imminent torture, or trying to get some information that he had acquired in prison, it would make sense.
But that's not what we're getting. The 4 spies we're 'buying' are Russians who have been in prison for spying on behalf of Britain or America. They will be released into Russia, and show no signs of wanting to leave Russia. So their status hasn't really changed; Russia can still do what it wants with them, and we're not in any better position to get information from them.
The net result: 16 Russian spies are now in Russia and out of prison. Russia could have reached this point without involving us at all: just free the 4 from prison and call back the 12 from America.
Not a goddamn lick of sense. ¶ 11:29 AM
If we were 'buying' some actual Americans who had been imprisoned in Russia, the swap would make sense. Or if we were buying and repossessing a Russian who was firmly on our side, trying to save him from imminent torture, or trying to get some information that he had acquired in prison, it would make sense.
But that's not what we're getting. The 4 spies we're 'buying' are Russians who have been in prison for spying on behalf of Britain or America. They will be released into Russia, and show no signs of wanting to leave Russia. So their status hasn't really changed; Russia can still do what it wants with them, and we're not in any better position to get information from them.
The net result: 16 Russian spies are now in Russia and out of prison. Russia could have reached this point without involving us at all: just free the 4 from prison and call back the 12 from America.
Not a goddamn lick of sense. ¶ 11:29 AM
